WHKY: Pandas clinch 15th Canada West title with overtime win
Abby Soyko is the OT hero again in 2-1 victory over UBC
Recap by UBC Thunderbirds Communications
VANCOUVER – The Alberta Pandas are Canada West Champions for the first time since 2020 having earned a 2-1 overtime win over the UBC Thunderbirds in game two of the conference final Friday night at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre.
Trailing 1-0 midway through the third period, Alberta got a tying marker from Madison Willan, eventually forcing overtime for the second straight night.
With double overtime looming, Abby Soyko continued the post-season performance of a lifetime when she scored the title clinching goal – her fourth of the playoffs – with just 14 seconds on the clock to hand the Pandas their 15th Canada West banner in program history.
“Every championship is done with a different, unique team so it’s different every time and you just really appreciate the opportunity for these guys to appreciate that success,” said Alberta head coach, Howie Draper, who has overseen every Canada West title in his program’s first in 1997-98. “We weather the storm and we find ways to get key goals at key times. That’s just been the nature of this team so we’ll see how far it takes us.”
Once again the Pandas can credit conference Goaltender of the Year, Grace Glover, with keeping her team in the game while under some early sustained pressure by the three-time defending conference champion T-Birds.
Similar to game one the night before, UBC held the clear edge in puck possession in the opening period Friday while outshooting the Pandas 13-3. But once again the visitors did a good job of keeping UBC to the outside while anything that did manage to get through to Glover was easily gobbled up.
The second-year netminder allowed just one goal on 71 combined shots over the two-game series, finishing with 37 stops Friday night alone.
“Obviously with Grace and what she’s been able to do for us has been amazing but everybody else kind of pitches in,” Draper said, adding his team’s deep held belief in their ability to overcome adversity. “It’s one of the core values the team came up with at the start of the year. We’ve been saying it a lot and I think it’s finally become a part of this group’s DNA.”
Outshooting the Pandas 27-5 through two periods, the T-Birds were still in search of their first goal of the series and finally got it from conference Player of the Year, Grace Elliott, just 16 seconds into the third. Starting the final period on the late stages of a power play, the ‘Birds managed to finally pull through on their fourth advantage of the game. Elliott took a feed from Jacquelyn Fleming, cut to the slot and wristed her third of the playoffs.
The undaunted Pandas managed to get the equalizer at the 12:13 mark when Madison Willan was credited with her first of the post-season.
While the T-Birds held the majority of puck possession and chances through regulation, the Pandas seemed to find another level in overtime, ultimately leading to Soyko’s series winner. The third-year Panda broke into UBC’s zone with the puck, fired a low shot on net which deflected off Elise Hugen’s stick, into the air and bounced into the back of the net sending Alberta into a frenzy of elation.
The result marks the first conference final series loss for the T-Birds in program history having put up a perfect 6-0 in Canada West championships previously.
“We just have to keep our focus,” said UBC head coach, Graham Thomas. “We achieved a lot of amazing goals as a team this year and we just kept turning the page and looking forward to the next goal. We didn’t achieve this goal but we’re lucky we’re in this situation where we can still turn the page and have the opportunity to get the ultimate goal that we set out for at the start of the year.”
Friday night did not necessarily mark the final meeting between the two Canada West powers this season as both teams are headed to the U SPORTS National Championship tournament set to begin March 20 in Waterloo, Ontario.
“We have to keep it in perspective,” Thomas said of the series loss. “It’s more fuel. I thought we played a great game and if we play like that going into nationals we’ll be fine.”
